Patience of ECO Instructors Vital to Helping Seniors Get Connected

For those who have never operated a computer before or are unfamiliar with the Internet, signing up to learn computer skills can be overwhelming. With the wealth of information that is available, learning this new skill can be both exciting and intimidating to a first-time computer user.

Connect Ohio’s Every Citizen Online (ECO) free basic computer training is a beneficial resource to new adult computer users. In fact, more than 16,000 adults have already taken advantage of the training at 250 training facilities all across Ohio.

Larry Parks recently participated in the training through the Rossford Public Library in Wood County. Parks is 65-years-old, had never operated a computer before in his life, and felt it was time to learn some simple computer skills and to see what the Internet had to offer him. Parks says before entering the class, he only knew how to turn a computer on.

“My son and daughter have been encouraging me (to use the Internet) for years,” said Parks.  “You’re never too old to learn something new.”

Parks has enjoyed the ECO training and had only nice things to say about his training instructor, Adam Murphy. He credits Murphy’s patience to helping him learn how to use the computer.

“If Adam was impatient with me, I probably would have quit,” said Parks. “It’s embarrassing to be slow at something. Adam has helped me, big time.”

Murphy says he realizes how overwhelming it can be for first-time users and focuses on helping his students concentrate on one task at a time. He also makes himself available for student’s questions, even after they’ve completed training. He periodically touches base with Parks, revisiting some of the class material.

“The classes are there to provide a foundation (terminology, starter tips, etc.) to allow the participants to get comfortable with technology,” said Murphy. “I want participants to learn enough to start exploring on their own and begin asking questions.”

Parks says that he is not completely comfortable with his new technology use yet, but he is regularly using the computer. Since taking the training, he is able to participate on his church’s prayer group list, which is communicated via e-mail, and he looks forward to checking out ChristianMingle.com.

Any Ohio adult is eligible for the 6-hour training program. Find a training location and register for Every Citizen Online classes today by calling 1-800-NOW-I-CAN (669-4226).

Find a training facility near you
Find additional information about the Every Citizen Online program

Connect Ohio Selected as Semi-Finalist for TechColumbus Innovation Award

The TechColumbus Innovation Awards celebrate the spirit of innovation by recognizing outstanding technology achievements in Central Ohio. Connect Ohio has been selected as a Semi-Finalist in the Innovation in Non-profit Service Delivery category.

“It is an honor to be a Semi-Finalist for this award and to be recognized for our innovations in the delivery of the Every Citizen Online program, which helps prepare state residents without Internet knowledge or access for our technologically-driven society,” said Stu Johnson, Connect Ohio executive director.

On Thursday, February 2, 2012 the annual TechColumbus Innovation Awards will showcase Central Ohio’s many achievements by honoring its top innovators. It is a night of networking, prestige, and celebration. Winners in 13 award categories will be announced to an audience of 1,100+ attendees. This prestigious evening showcases the region’s advancements and promising future. For more information, visit www.techcolumbusinnovationawards.org.

COMPANY AWARD CATEGORIES

• Corporate Innovator of the Year
• Outstanding Startup Business
• Outstanding Product (fewer than 50 employees)
• Outstanding Product (more than 50 employees)
• Outstanding Service (fewer than 50 employees)
• Outstanding Service (more than 50 employees)
• Outstanding Technology Team
• Green Innovation
• Innovation in Non-Profit Service Delivery

INDIVIDUAL AWARD CATEGORIES

• Executive of the Year (fewer than 50 employees)
• Executive of the Year (more than 50 employees)
• Outstanding Woman in Technology
• Inventor of the Year

Connect Ohio Staff Takes Part in Community Care Day

On Tuesday, Connect Ohio staff participated in United Way of Central Ohio’s 2011 Community Care Day by assisting in yard work and landscape beautification at Alvis House’s Administration Office. Alvis House provides programs and services for individuals transitioning from being involved in the criminal justice system to re-entering the community. Alvis House also works with the families of those individuals and with those who may be at risk of entering into criminal behavior. In addition, the organization operates supported living and residential programs for individuals with developmental disabilities.


Nine Connect Ohio employees worked alongside Alvis House maintenance personnel clearing overgrown brush, leaves, and trash, as well as weeding and hedge trimming the landscape surrounding the building.


Community Care Day is the largest one-day volunteer outreach in central Ohio and is an opportunity for teams of employees from companies throughout Columbus to volunteer. This year’s event included 3,000 volunteers from 150 companies involved in nearly 200 projects.

Pictured left to right: Dave Matusoff, Benj Foor, Brad Fuller, Katie Beaumont, Bart Winegar, Amanda Murphy, Nicole Smolic, Jeff Beebe, and Heather Delany

See additional photos on the Connect Ohio Facebook page, http://facebook.com/connectohio, as well as the Alvis House Facebook page. 

Connect Ohio Shares Broadband Insight with Congressman Latta’s Staff

Connect Ohio staff had the opportunity to discuss broadband in Ohio with Bethany Peck, senior legislative assistant for Congressman Robert Latta (5th District, Ohio), Tuesday.

Congressman Latta is a member of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology. Peck handles telecommunication policy for Congressman Latta and came to Connect Ohio exploring first-hand perspectives on broadband availability throughout the state, existing barriers to expansion, and what the National Broadband Plan can mean for Ohio and beyond.

Connect Ohio Technical Outreach Manager Bart Winegar gave Peck an overview of Connect Ohio’s interactive resource BroadbandStat, which shows by address what households have broadband access and those that are still unserved (according to data gathered from more than 100 broadband providers throughout Ohio). Existing barriers to broadband service in rural areas and approaches to overcoming those barriers were discussed, as well as Connect Ohio’s customized propagation studies and business case analyses available to Ohio communities engaged in finding last-mile broadband connectivity.

“I’m extremely impressed to find Connect Ohio going to every effort to help ensure broadband expansion throughout the state,” said Peck. “The organization’s reporting, county profiles, and online resources are very helpful to us.”

High-speed Internet availability’s affect on economic development was also a key topic of the meeting. Peck was happy to hear of the Every Citizen Online free basic computer and Internet training for Ohio adults and how the program is complementing broadband expansion efforts.

“I really enjoyed meeting with Bethany (Peck) and am happy she found Connect Ohio’s programs beneficial to not only Ohioans, but to Congressman Latta’s staff and possibly the communications and technology subcommittee,” said Winegar

USDA Administrator Jonathan Adelstein Visits Central Ohio, Discusses Broadband Programs in Rural Communities

On Tuesday, July 19, United States Department of Agriculture Rural Utilities Service Administrator Jonathan Adelstein visited central Ohio to give an update on broadband expansion projects in rural communities nationally, as well as to discuss Consolidated Electric Cooperative’s progress on local fiber installation and broadband expansion in Delaware, Morrow, and parts of other surrounding counties. Consolidated Electric was awarded a Rural Utilities Service grant of more than $1 million and a Rural Utilities Service loan of about $1.4 million to aid their expansion project, which is about 60% completed, thus far, and expected to be 100% complete by the end of the year. The USDA’s support for telecommunications projects improving broadband service to rural residents and businesses is vital to economic development in these areas.

“Broadband was the first pillar of (Secretary of Agriculture) Tom Vilsack’s agenda,” said Adelstein. “Like the rural electrification program of the 1930’s, this broadband project will result in economic development for many years to come.”

Connect Ohio recognizes broadband as a key component of rural development. The recent release of Connect Ohio’s 2011 Residential Technology Assessment and 2010 Business Technology Assessment illustrates the challenges and opportunities that exist in Ohio’s rural community development. Below are some key technology benchmarks from Connect Ohio’s recent assessment.
• More than 88,000 businesses in Ohio do not use broadband.
• Businesses without broadband have annual revenue of $200,000 less than businesses with broadband.
• Manufacturing and Professional and Financial Services sectors lead in broadband adoption in Ohio.
• Only 53% of businesses in the Healthcare sector use broadband (about 13,000 healthcare-related businesses).

Also in attendance at today’s event with Administrator Adelstein at Consolidated Electric’s Delaware office were USDA Rural Development Ohio office staff, including J. Anthony Logan, director, David Douglas, community program director, Mark Elam, RUS field accountant, Consolidated Electric Cooperative staff, including Jerry Lauer, President/CEO, and Doug Payauys, CIO, Bart Winegar, Connect Ohio technical outreach manager, and area county officials.

Additional Broadband and business data from Connect Ohio’s 2010 Business Technology Assessment can be viewed at http://connectohio.org/mapping_and_research/.

The complete 2011 Residential Technology Assessment can be viewed at here. 

Specific county-level research can be viewed by visiting the Connect Ohio website. Click on the county of interest’s profile page, and then click on the county’s technology profile.

Learn more about Consolidated’s expansion project by visiting here. 

Learn more about the USDA Rural Development Rural Utilities Service by visiting http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/Utilities_LP.html.

Brown County, Ohio Resident Able to Telework after Contacting Connect Ohio for Help

Diana Pitzer lives on the edge of Brown County and commutes to work in Mason, which is a 1-hour drive each way. Diana is a claims adjustor for a large insurance company. She has been with the company for 15 years. In January 2010, the company approved Pitzer to work from home.

“I leave very early to be at work by 5:30 a.m.,” said Pitzer. “In the evening, it can be an hour and a half to get home. To work at home was going to be fantastic — time-wise and, with gas prices, money-wise.”

There was just one problem. Pitzer’s home Internet speeds were not fast enough to meet her employer’s requirements. This news did not deter Pitzer and she sought a solution.

After more than a year of being told there was nothing that could be done about the Internet speeds at her home by the few Internet providers who serviced the area, Diana came across Connect Ohio and e-mailed a broadband inquiry in April 2011. Connect Ohio Technical Outreach Coordinator Ira Dye responded to Pitzer’s inquiry.

Dye knew Frontier Communications, a broadband service provider, was in the midst of deploying a new, upgraded network and southern Ohio was one of the first stages of this project. Dye reached out to Richard Hutchinson, a regional manager for Frontier, and Tena McIntosh, local manager for Frontier, regarding Pitzer’s situation.

According to Hutchinson, a new ROADM network was being deployed in Georgetown, near Pitzer’s home.

“To enhance its network and improve the overall customer experience, Frontier has begun deploying ROADM Networks (or) Reconfigurable Optical Add-Drop Multiplexer systems, which increase the network's flexibility and deliver higher speeds, among other benefits,” said Patrician Amendola, public relations spokesperson for Frontier.

“Tena called me and said that they would be upgrading my Internet service to a higher speed,” said Pitzer. “Then a representative came out to my house (for a field check) the first week of May.”

Pitzer brought her work computer home on May 27 and began teleworking that same week.

Pitzer estimates a savings of $80 each week by no longer commuting to the office more than 40 miles away. She says she is also saving money by needing fewer oil changes and car repairs. But her biggest savings is time.

“I’m just very excited,” said Pitzer. “I get to sleep in. I can spend 2 more hours a day doing whatever … it’s like a raise … a big raise. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Connect Ohio went the extra mile to find someone to help me.”

“It’s a positive story and her life changed by these upgrades,” said Hutchinson. “Our network is more capable and we’re helping others. The real plan is to get there for everybody – 85% of Frontier’s network will be upgraded within the next three years.”

“Tena's 20-plus years of technical experience coupled with her knowledge of the Georgetown market were distinct advantages in providing Diana with the speed she required,” said Amendola. “While this high-speed Internet example is for Brown County, similar customer experiences are happening daily throughout Frontier's markets in Ohio as more and more customers are transferred onto Frontier's ROADM networks and enjoy the benefits of higher speed.”

Connect Ohio Launches YouTube Video PSA Contest

Ohio residents now have a chance to become the stars of an upcoming statewide public service campaign for Connect Ohio’s Every Citizen Online program.

Connect Ohio launched this YouTube video public service announcement contest today and is looking to gather meaningful stories of Ohioans using broadband technology.

The winning video(s) will be 30- or 60-seconds in length and demonstrate the usefulness of the Internet to the daily lives of Ohioans, creative ways people use Internet technology, and how “Life is better with Broadband.”

Videos must be uploaded to YouTube.com, and then submitted to Connect Ohio at http://connectohio.org/consumer_training/video_contest.php.

Entries are due by March 21, 2011, and winners will be announced in April.

The contest winner(s) will receive an Apple iPad and may be selected to appear in Connect Ohio’s Every Citizen Online public service announcements.

To learn more and view rules of the contest, visit http://connectoh.org/consumer_training/video_contest.php.

Connect Ohio’s Every Citizen Online Classes Launched

The first Every Citizen Online course (left) at Pioneer Career and Technology Center in Richland County, Ohio kicked off on January 3.

Connect Ohio’s Every Citizen Online classes have officially launched.

Every Citizen Online provides free computer training sessions at public libraries and community colleges throughout Ohio and will introduce new users how to access the Internet and how to best utilize all the Internet has to offer.

The goal of the project is to showcase the many educational, healthcare, economic, and communication benefits of broadband use, and to encourage adoption by residents statewide.

This week, six local libraries and/or community centers in Ohio began the training sessions. In addition, Connect Ohio has been running public service announcements on television and radio stations thorough out the state. You can view the PSA’s here: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=C5EA400DC26CE4C4

Here are some recent articles about the program:

Zanesville Times Recorder - Free Computer Classes at Perry County District Library

Toledo Blade - Sandusky County library offers computer classes

This Week (Columbus) - Columbus nonprofit looks to get 'Every Citizen Online'

Connected Nation’s Connect Ohio Receives Federal Grant to Provide Free Computer Training at Public Libraries, Community Colleges in Ohio

Connect Ohio’s Public Adoption Through Libraries/Every Community Online Adoption Project will receive $6.9 million, which will offer free computer training sessions at public libraries and community colleges throughout Ohio and will introduce new users to a wide range of communication, education, and healthcare tools available online.

The project is funded through the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP).

Connect Ohio’s two-year program provides the necessary equipment, training, technical support, and public awareness components to create publicly accessible training sessions in Ohio’s public libraries and community colleges, educating new computer users and helping them take advantage of the powerful social and economic tools available through high-speed Internet service.

The project is expected to immediately create 136 jobs, train 209,000 consumers over two years, and inspire a total of 75,000 new households to adopt broadband in their daily lives. Public computing capacity will also be enhanced by the placement of more than 2,000 new public computers that will be distributed to dozens of public library and community college locations across the state along with the necessary curriculum to be used in the training program.

To read the full project summary, visit the NTIA website.

Community Collaboration Helps Secure Broadband Grant for Meigs County, OH

On Wednesday, Aug. 4, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service Broadband Initiatives Program awarded five Ohio broadband projects. The $14.4 million in broadband infrastructure funding will infuse jobs and enhance broadband capacity in several rural counties.

Among the recipients is New Era Broadband, which worked with Connected Nation and its state-based organization, Connect Ohio, to apply for the funding to bring service to nearly 3,500 unserved residents in rural Meigs County.

According to Connect Ohio’s research, approximately one in five Meigs County households cannot access high-speed Internet service. With this new grant, that’s all about to change. The funds will be used over the next 24 months for a last-mile infrastructure project which will provide fixed-point to multi-point wireless broadband service to increase the county’s broadband capacity and help create jobs.

"(The) decision is a major win for residents of Meigs County," New Era Broadband Company President Brien Burke said. "We're pleased to be able to bring affordable high-speed Internet service to nearly 3,500 residents and businesses there. The award will also provide future jobs and economic opportunities for Meigs County, which will have access to less expensive, higher-speed Internet service."

County commissioners, community leaders, and local partners were instrumental in collaborating with the Meigs County-based fixed wireless provider on the proposal. See: Pomeroy Daily Sentinel - Firm doubles service as part of ‘county broadband plan’

"We helped New Era identify the unserved areas of Meigs County, conducted propagation and path profile studies, and assisted them in obtaining a lease on the McKenzie Ridge MARCS tower," said Chip Spann, Connected Nation’s director of engineering and technical services. "The initial engineering design was provided as part of New Era's grant application and we’ve continued to offer consulting support along the way. It’s been a win-win for New Era and the citizens of Meigs County."

To learn more, visit www.connectohio.org.

Jackson City Library receives six computers from Connect Ohio’s No Child Left Offline ® program

JACKSON, OH – Six new notebook computers provided by Connect Ohio’s No Child Left Offline ® program will help Jackson County residents bridge the “digital divide” and connect to high-speed wireless broadband Internet at the Jackson City Library. The computers were presented today at a ceremony in the library’s Potter meeting room.

Connect Ohio’s 2008 Residential Technology Assessment for Jackson County shows that only about 27 percent of residents have high-speed Internet service in their homes. In fact, 3,500 of Jackson County’s more than 12,000 households don’t have access to broadband technology in their homes, while 95 percent of Ohio households do.

Many students on the wrong side of the divide resort to skipping lunch to work in school computer labs or making long journeys to the public library after school. Such efforts are necessary because Ohio students are now doing much of their work online, including reading textbooks, watching podcasts, using discussion boards and creating PowerPoint presentations.

The Jackson City library currently has seven broadband connected computers that are made available for public use. In the past year, library director Laura Thorne reports that nearly 1,000 patrons use the computers every month. There is often a wait to use a computer, especially after local schools are dismissed for the day, she said.

“Since Wi-Fi service is available throughout the library, patrons will be able to use one of these notebooks to access the Internet when the desktop stations are in use,” Thorne said. “We are also hoping that the addition of these new computers will allow us to resume computer training for our patrons,” Thorne said.

“Connect Ohio is pleased to be able to provide these new computers for use by Jackson County students and for any other resident who wants to take advantage of the benefits of high-speed Internet,” said Tom Fritz, Connect Ohio’s executive director. “Research by the American Library Association finds that more than 90 percent of libraries provide formal or informal technology training to library patrons. Of those libraries that offer formal classes, 91 percent provide training in general computer skills; 71 percent have formal classes in using software applications; and 93 percent have training in general Internet use.”

No Child Left Offline is an innovative project that brings together public and private partners to help disadvantaged students and their families gain access to broadband-enabled technology.

This is accomplished by placing computers in the hands of disadvantaged populations so that they have access to abundant technological resources and can perform basic computing functions.

The program is funded through public and private donations.

“We are truly thankful for the public and private partners who generously support the No Child Left Offline program. With community collaboration we are able to get vital technology into the hands of Ohioans that need it most,” Fritz said.

For more information about the No Child Left Offline ® program, visit: http://www.connectohio.org/nclo/

Small Businesses in Ohio Benefit From Expanded Broadband Access

From left, Phil Taylor demonstrates some of the facets of his small business, Taylor Made Countertops, to Gallia County Commissioners President Justin Fallon, Governor’s Office of Appalachia Director Fred Deel, AT&T Director of External Affairs B.J. Smith, and Kingsley Meyer of the University of Rio Grande/Rio Grande Community College.

Elizabeth Rigel/photo, with permission

Taylor Made Countertops sits along Ohio 141 near Patriot, Ohio in Gallia County. Owner Phil Taylor purchases solid surface, an acrylic material used to make his custom countertops, from an out-of-state manufacturer that has increasingly moved its sales online and even offers discounts for buyers who purchase over the internet, according to an article in the Gallipolis Daily Tribune.

However, Taylor openly admitted in an article in the Gallipolis Daily Tribune that using the Internet, in it current dial-up state, just isn’t worth the effort.

“Dial-up (Internet) takes so long that I don’t usually have time to do it,” Taylor told the Gallipolis Daily Tribune.

However, Taylor and others in the communities of Cheshire, Mercerville, Patriot and Vinton in Gallia County and Arabia-Waterloo in Lawrence County, won’t have to worry about slow-dial up speeds, thanks to a recent public-private partnership between the state of Ohio and AT&T, according to the article. Connect Ohio, a Connected Nation initiative, also contributed to the effort.

Thanks to this partnership, residents within three miles of central locations in Gallia and Lawrence County can now hook in to these connections. Four broadband packages are available for purchase, ranging from approximately $20 to $35 in cost per month.

This is just one example of the power of ubiquitous broadband. The work of Connected Nation and its state-based initiatives continually strives to form public-private partnerships in an effort to ensure all Americans have access to high-speed Internet for all areas their lives.

To learn more about our work, visit http://www.connectednation.org/.